Ice skate



0. CHARETTE April 18, 1933.

ICE SKATE Filed April 29, 1932 Oafz'laa CZareit Mowaqo.

Patented Apr. 1 8, 1933 onrnoiv GHARETTE, or FITCI-IBURG, MAs'sAonnsEr'rs ICE SKATE Application filed April 29,

The invention relates to improvements in ice skates and aims to provide novel and effective provision for holding the skate blades in blade holders, in such manner as to allow either the manufacturer or the user to equip the skates with racing blades, hockey blades, fancy skating blades, etc.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the opposing re forces acting upon the skate blade and the blade holder, during the act of skating, tend to more tightly connect said blade and holder.

Yet another object is to provide blade and holder connecting means necessitating that the blade be first moved forwardly, then rearwardly, and finally downwardly, before it can be detached from the holder. During skating, there is little likelihood that the 26 blade can move in these three directions should it become loose, before the looseness is detected by the skater and there is therefore little danger of losing a blade with the accompanying hazards.

With the foregoing in View, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawing.

' Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing one form of skate constructed in accordance with the invention. a

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2.

The blade holder 5 is shown as provided with sole and heel plates 6 and 7 connected therewith by posts 8, 9 and 10 which are se- '4 cured in any desired way to said blade holder, it being intended that said plates -be riveted or otherwise secured to a shoe. It will be understood however that any other conventional means could if desired be employed 4 for connecting the blade holder with the 1932. Serial no. 608,278.

shoe, as my invention isnot concerned with features of attachment for connecting'blade holder and shoe. c V I y The blade holder 5 is of tubular form, preferably diamond-shaped in transverse 5 section, and throughout the length of its lower. -side, said blade holder is formedwith a longitudinal slot 11. v Atopposite sides of this slot, the blade holder is providd with longitudinal downwardly projecting flanges 5 12 disposed in parallel vertical planes; The entire holder 5 with its'flanges' 1-2,'is1pre"ferably formed from rather light sheet metal, an d to stiffen it, a reinforcing bar 13, preferably formed from hard woodsuch as hick- 5'5 ory, issnugly fittedinsaid holder. This reinforcing bar is provided with a straight plane lower side or edge 14 constituting an abutment'face'which closes the. slot 11 and is adapted to: tightly abutv the. straight plane 6 upper edge 15 of a skate blade 16 which is snugly received between the flanges 12. Obvio usly,wthis blade may be of any'desired typ'e,according was use tow'hich the skates are to be put. r 7'0 7 Any desired number of clampingbolts'l'l extend through the flanges 12 and the blade" 16, said clamping bolts preferably embodying wing-nuts 18 disposed at one of the flanges 12 while the heads'19 of the boltsare soldered or otherwise secured to the other of said flanges. When the nuts l8 are tight ened, the flanges 12 are drawn into tight frictional engagement with the blade 16', whereassaidblade is loosened byreleasing 3'6 said mas; Conventional lock'washers'20 are preferably employed for these nuts. The. blade 16 is" formed with'a plurality of duplicate slots 21' which receive the bolts'l7. Each of these slots isprovided'with ave'rti cal portion 22 opening through' the-uppr edge 15- ofthe blade 16, with' a "rearwardly extending portion;23, withjardownwa'rdly ex tending portion 24 and with aaforwardlyextending portion 25, the latter underlying the vertical portion 22. The bolts 17 normally occupy the lower extremities of the slots 21, and said extremities are provided with rearwardly inclined upper walls 26 which lie upon the upper sides of said bolts. It thus follows that the opposing forces acting upon the blade 16 and the blade holder 5 during the act of skating tend to always tightly wedge the blade 16 in place with its upper edge 15 resting solidly against the abutment face 14 of the reinforcing bar 13. Thus, under ordinary circumstances, the blade remains tightly in the holder. Should any of the wing nuts loosen sufficiently to allow loosening of the blade in the holder, there is little likelihood of the blade dropping from said holder, for in order to remove said blade, it is necessary that it be moved first forwardly, then rearwardly and then downwardly, and there is little likelihood of the blade so moving should it become loose before its looseness be detected by the skater.

It will be seen from the foregoing that novel provision has been made for carrying out-the objects of the invention, and while the details disclosed may be considered as preferred, minor variations may of course be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim 1. In a skate, a blade holder having parallel longitudinal blade-straddling flanges and a longitudinal plane straight horizontal abutment face between the upper portions of said flanges, a skate blade snugly received between said flanges and having a straight plane upper edge contacting with said abutment face, and bolts passing through said flanges, said blade being provided with slots opening through its upper edge and receiving said bolts, said slots being directed upwardly and forwardly and provided with rearwardly inclined walls lying on the upper sides of said bolts, whereby the opposing forces acting on said blade holder and said blade during skating, tend to wedge sa d blade into tight engagement with said abutment face.

2. In a skate, a blade holder having a plane downwardly presented blade abutment and parallel longitudinal blade-straddling flanges projecting downwardly beyond said abutment, a bolt extending through said flanges, and a skate blade snugly received between said flanges and having a plane upper edge abutting said abutment, said blade having a slot receiving said bolt, said slot having a vertical portion opening through the upper edge of the blade and a poly-directional portion, the latter extending first rearwardly, then downwardly, and then forwardly and downwardly under said vertical portion, said bolt being normally disposed in the lower extremity of said slot.

3. A skate blade provided with bolt-receiv- 

